Police Officer to re-trial

[Mac166]

What I was trying to say was that there are many people out there who have not done any extra training. As a result their driving standard may not be as high as yours. You then have to take this into consideration when riding as you may have identified a potential hazard and included it into your ride plan to be able to negotiate it safely. The other person may not have and therefor may react to it in an adverse and evasive manouvre thereby affecting your original ride plan. This possibility must be included in your ride plan so it can be dealt with in a safe and controlled manner. This is very difficult to do at 150 mph.

Do you think I could use the excuse of vehicular familiarisation? "But your Honour one of my students on a moped managed to get away from me when I had to stop at a set of traffic lights, I was only doing 150 mph to catch up."

 

[Barrie]

Look, obviously the guy was chancing his arm (taking the piss) and when confronted used a lame excuse for his actions. Someone high up thinks he has a case to answer or he wouldn't be back in court. How many innocent people have been killed or injured by speeding police drivers? sometimes for no good reason.

I have friends in the police and will admit, in private obviously, that they do over do the speeding thing because they can.

 

[gypsy]

I believe he is being retried due to inadmissible evidence being used in the initial trial

 

[R2B2]

there are many people out there who have not done any extra training. As a result their driving standard may not be as high as yours. You then have to take this into consideration when riding as you may have identified a potential hazard and included it into your ride plan to be able to negotiate it safely. The other person may not have and therefor may react to it in an adverse and evasive manouvre thereby affecting your original ride plan. This possibility must be included in your ride plan so it can be dealt with in a safe and controlled manner.

Does that mean the same as always be prepared for the unexpected. ?

 

[Aidey]

Answer is very simple in this case. If an officer has to familiarise himself with a new vehicle (one that is actually taken onto the police fleet, rather than a demo) then an authorisation from a senior officer for a familiarisation run should be given. This protects the officer from any reckless accusations and should be done with another officer in the vehicle for back up. Otherwise make it a clause of acceptance that the vehicle manufacturer provides a test day at a circuit away from public roads. There, its not difficult is it?

 

[John57]

As I said Buzz, Dangerous shouldnt come into it...He was & is a highly trained high speed driver...... No problems with that...

Your training is done on public roads...... No problem with that (he will be accompanied by an instructor, who wont let him do it unless its safe to do so)

All I am saying, is that he wasnt under training or any "official" familiarisation, so he then operates under the same laws with regards to speed as we do...If we break the speed limit & get caught, then we get done for it... Same rules for all...

In another matter, I was in Peterborough the other week in the truck... I stopped at an island to let the traffic go round, and a police car went round with both the officers on their mobile phones (not radios) .. On the radio at the time was a discussion about the use & prosecution of the public doing just this...I was totally astonished by seeing this...

No disrespect to any officer on this forum, but rules are supposed to apply to everyone...

Cheers,

Rolfy
:beer:

Re your bit about the mobile phones ..... I work in the Met and use a radio that looks exactly - and I mean exactly - like a mobile phone .... and made by Motorola. Most of the county forces now use the same unit. I have already been challenged by another driver who thought I was using a mobile.... when I showed him the radio he was amazed.

They may of course have been using a proper mobile in which case they are idiots - but I just make the point .... if you know what I mean.

 

[parttimepilot]

My Two Pennies Worth

FWIW,
I was always of the opinion that all emergency vehicles, when operated by appropriately trained personnel,and on official relevant business, are exempt to the regulated speed limits to a particular road.

I attended an advanced driving course in or aroud 1987/8. Designed and delivered by Seargent Stewart from Central Scotland Police road traffic department.

As part of the course we were given the opportunity to attend a "practical demonstration" of the driving principals covered. (a ride in a fast car with lights on)
During the "demonstration" the driver gave a full and comprehensive commentary of proceedings.
Upon proceeding down the M9 sliproad at a healthy lick..PC Perfect Driver quoted " as you will see the posted speed limit for this type of vehicle on this road is 70 MPH, This limit does not apply to this vehicle today"

Afterwards he appologised for not going as fast as he had intended due to the traffic conditions encountered. I saw 130MPH on the speedo.


Secondly...
I was under the impression that a person CLEARED in a court of law, can only be retried if sufficient , relevant, NEW evidence comesto light.
I dont think the fact that the prosecution made an arse of their case falls into that category.

Stinks of Scapegoat to me....

 

[Jaws]

Re your bit about the mobile phones ..... I work in the Met and use a radio that looks exactly - and I mean exactly - like a mobile phone .... and made by Motorola. Most of the county forces now use the same unit. I have already been challenged by another driver who thought I was using a mobile.... when I showed him the radio he was amazed.

They may of course have been using a proper mobile in which case they are idiots - but I just make the point .... if you know what I mean.

Interesting that John, on two sides.. and believe me I am in no way having a pop.. far from it in fact !

As a radio ham I often used to use a mic whilst mobile.
In 1981 we was told that if we were seen using a mic whilst driving we WOULD be nicked.. so that is point one..

Point two.. What exactly is the difference ( in ability to control the vehicle ) between using a mic and using a fone ?


And now a Jaws anecdote.. so all those with weak bladders go take a piss now...


I actually got stopped on the M1 many many moons ago for this very thing.. . Cop asked who I was talking to.. He thought I was taking the piss when I said the chaps name was Ivan and he was in the Red Square ! Then when he found out I was being truthful moaned like feck cos half the time he could not talk back to his own nick !

 

[gerryc]

I understand that cops can be trained and that some are very skillful on the road. what pi$$es me off is that when pulled over or even watching them on the telly like last night on M&M they seem to be of the opinion that they are the only ones able to control a vehicle at speed and always lamely justify pulling normally law abiding people over for erring over the speed limit and landing them with hefty fines and penelty point giving a double whammy when it comes to renewal time for insurance.

I get infuriated by these numbnuts and their justifications. Two things really got me going last night the first was plod driving dangerously close behind bikes in unmarked cars forcing them to overtake a truck on the chevrons while still having plenty of clearance either side. Our hero thinks yes I'll have them and proceeds to overtake the tuck not only on the chevrons but into the path of oncoming vehicles.
The second was one of his buddies driving down the wrong side of a narrow country road at speed to catch up with some bikes because they had overtaken with plenty of clear road ahead. In his attampts to get right in behind him the fat twat even admitted on camera that it made him get all nervous in case something was coming the other way because he had had to travel so far on the wrong side of the road there was no way he could have seen what was coming.:shooter: :shooter::shooter:

All the feckin training in the world can't make you see round corners. Wankers make me mad even thinkin about it.

 

[Elwood]

There is no doubt that cops need to familiarise themselves with the vehicle. (a test track is no substitute IMO)
Having driven Advanced level cars in the police since 1991 (and bikes for that matter) I feel that to familiarise yourself is one thing, 159mph is another
IMHO the driver has gone for the age old test of "How fast will this go then?"

From memory (and yes it's a long time ago) I remember something from a stated case that during driver training vehicles should only travel at 90% of the top speed of that vehicle (dont know if it's true or not)

But two things spring to mind

1) As already said, he who is without sin etc etc
2) How the hell did he get that sort of speed out of a Vauxhall :neenaw:


Dave aka Elwood (just passing from the VFR forum)

 

[Barrie]

Its the "Familiarise "Himself with the vehicle that makes me wonder what sort of driver he really is. I would say that most experienced drivers should be able to get into a vehicle they have never driven before and know what it will handle like in a very short distance, couple of miles at most. This guy was taking the piss good style. Take him off traffic and let him do some proper police work.

 

[trousersnake01]

I'm a traffic cop in the MET and colleagues and I have spoke a lot about this copper.
He didn't have permission so he shouldn't have done it.
Was the car police spec ?
If it was, the speed on a motorway wasn't that quick.
However doing 90mph in a 30mph should get him a years ban, and 2 weeks inside and the sack. He is a berk.
We carry black boxes in our fleet and they are always downloaded to check we are playing the game.
There is no excuse for dangerous excess speed and I hope he is dealt with this time.

 

[chuffmeister]

I'm a traffic cop in the MET and colleagues and I have spoke a lot about this copper.
He didn't have permission so he shouldn't have done it.
Was the car police spec ?
If it was, the speed on a motorway wasn't that quick.
However doing 90mph in a 30mph should get him a years ban, and 2 weeks inside and the sack. He is a berk.
We carry black boxes in our fleet and they are always downloaded to check we are playing the game.
There is no excuse for dangerous excess speed and I hope he is dealt with this time.

very honest and open :bow::bow::bow::bow:

 

[Barrie]

I'm a traffic cop in the MET and colleagues and I have spoke a lot about this copper.
He didn't have permission so he shouldn't have done it.
Was the car police spec ?
If it was, the speed on a motorway wasn't that quick.
However doing 90mph in a 30mph should get him a years ban, and 2 weeks inside and the sack. He is a berk.
We carry black boxes in our fleet and they are always downloaded to check we are playing the game.
There is no excuse for dangerous excess speed and I hope he is dealt with this time.

You have just restored my respect for police officers. Thank you.:bow:

 

[ianrobbo1]

You have just restored my respect for police officers. Thank you.:bow:

it'll take a lot more than that for me!! :dunno: and in saying that yes I AM aware that they arnt all the same,!! h1d1ng2

 

[Barrie]

it'll take a lot more than that for me!! :dunno: and in saying that yes I AM aware that they arnt all the same,!! h1d1ng2

Ok but still good to know they don't all close ranks and defend each other no matter what.

 

[skiers]

I have no problem with the police doing their training on the public highway. It would be rather unwise to do all their training in an environment that they will not work in on a day to day basis (skid pan excepted for obvious reasons).

This bloke was chancing his arm and would probably admit it in private. He didn`t even have permission to do the "familiarization" for fecks sake!

Any other talented drivers such as F1 drivers, Moto GP riders, rally drivers used to driving at such speed in far more trying conditions would have been branded totally irrespobsible whatever their their level of skill and punished accordingly. It is time for him to face up to the fact that he was wrong and can not continue to hide behind his chosen defence and face his punishment.

To lose his job would, I believe, be harsh. I do feel that he should be removed from traffic duties as there are serious doubts about his judgement.

We need decent traffic cops and this bloke has done a lot to damage the police/ public relationship. All you other blokes & blokettes on the job have my continued support.

 

[martin]

Its the "Familiarise "Himself with the vehicle that makes me wonder what sort of driver he really is. I would say that most experienced drivers should be able to get into a vehicle they have never driven before and know what it will handle like in a very short distance, couple of miles at most. This guy was taking the piss good style. Take him off traffic and let him do some proper police work.

Not exactly true. fwd, rwd, 4wd all behave and handle different to each other. Try getting out of a Skoda VRS (fwd) and into an Imprezza (4wd) totally different animal. There has to be some sort of familiarisation with the vehical. That said im inclined to agree with the thought that there was some sort of 'bar room bravery' involved and if thats the case should face the music.

The force have to test and practice somewhere, perhaps the high speed bowl at MIRA would be a slightly better alternative.

In a previous life as a senior IAM observer, I had the priviledge of observing an ex RCS officer. Most definately a case of teacher becomes the pupil. He ended up teaching me things I can only have dreamt of doing.

Most officers of the law are human and reasonable people, but in this case it looks like Mr.159mph is going to have to stand up and be counted. Welcome to our world. s04pb0x6